The new situation derived from the Covid-19 postponed all travel plans during the year 2020. The world panorama was totally paralyzed. Even in the first quarter of 2021, the situation for the future of travel is uncertain. But there are many travelers who are planning future getaways in the hope that the truce virus and the situation will allow us to enjoy traveling abroad again.
Between hotel reservations and flights, several questions arise: What is the best way to operate with my money when I travel? Can I pay from my card avoiding high commissions currency exchange? Is it better to take my money in cash? Which are the best travel cards? In this article we show you the answer to these and other questions.
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What options do we have when it comes to withdrawing money to travel?
When we travel to a foreign country with a different currency than ours, we always consider what possibilities we have when operating with our money. The options are several.
- Change money at your own bank. This option is the most widespread and traditional. There are many drawbacks because traditional banks usually offer very abusive commissions.
- Change money in agency. Like the previous option, they usually offer high commissions against an unfavorable exchange rate to those who seek the change.
- Conventional credit or debit cards. The problem with these cards is that for the most part, they are not cards focused on travelers. They continue to charge commissions. Surely you will have to pay a commission to your bank, another commission to the destination bank (the one from the ATM) and probably the exchange rate applied is not the official one.
- Commission-free travel cards. It is the best way to pay abroad without commissions. There are different options. Next we tell you which is the best.
why use one travel card?
When we take a trip there are many expenses that arise. Booking accommodation, flights, transportation... Some expenses are planned, but the truth is that there are many others that we do not have. Here is a list of reasons why we recommend using travel cards.
- It will allow you to control your expenses during the trip. From the card app you can keep track of your expenses and manage your payments
. - Using a card specifically for travel it will reduce the risk of theft or loss of your money during the trip.
- Save yourself the high interest for currency exchange in cash.
- Most of the cards designed for this allow you Withdraw money from ATMs in your destination country.
- Save space in your wallet.
Which are the best free travel cards?
There are several travel cards that they offer us facilities when it comes to going abroad and it is normal to consider which one will be the best. We found the following.
- N26: It is a highly recommended free card when traveling. Allows you to manage your account from the mobile app. You will be able to make your payments through it and from the card app you will be able to control all the movements you make. No limit on purchases or commissions in any currency. You can also make 3 free cash withdrawals per month in the euro zone with the basic plan.
- Bnext: It's a prepaid travel card no bank account. You will have 3 free withdrawals in the euro zone, each with a maximum of €500. Within the euro zone you will have an unlimited amount of purchases. Outside the euro zone this is reduced to a maximum of €2,000. They don't have Apple Pay or Google Pay yet.
- Revolut: It's a commission-free card that we must certainly take into account when traveling. You will receive notifications of your expenses on your device and in real time. You can withdraw up to €200 per month without commissions. From there the commission will be 2% of the withdrawal amount.
- Fazil
: Is a free virtual card without commissions or conditions to pay everything with your mobile. Free, without maintenance costs. It is perfect for traveling because you can make all payments from your mobile with Apple Pay and Google Pay. In this way you will be protected against loss and theft. Also, unlike the majority that only have a native application, Fazil will allow you to access and manage all your expenses from a browser. This is key in case you lose your mobile abroad.
From Fazil we hope to have clarified your options when operating abroad and we invite you to compare all the alternatives and that the best one wins. 
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